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Adolescents’ Reports of Parental Engagement and Academic Achievement in Immigrant Families

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Abstract

The purpose of this study was to add to the understanding of the effects of perceived parental engagement on adolescents’ academic achievement in immigrant families. Self-report data were collected from 1,245 adolescents in immigrant families from four high schools in Los Angeles County. The sample characteristics follow: 13–16 years old (M = 14.5); 58.9% female, 41.1% male; 57.5% Latino; 40.6% 1st generation youth (i.e., foreign born), 59.4% 2nd generation youth. After controlling for parental educational attainment, parental engagement variables were indirectly related to grades through youths’ academic engagement. Multigroup SEM indicated some differences between genders, generational statuses, and ethnicities (Latinos versus others). Adolescents’ perceptions of monitoring by mothers and fathers were indirectly related to grades through academic engagement. Perceived educational advice by mothers was indirectly related to grades through academic engagement for non-Latinos, boys, and 2nd generation youth. Perceived mothers’ schoolwork help was positively related to adolescents’ academic engagement in all the models (except 2nd generation youth), yet fathers’ schoolwork help was significant only for girls and 2nd generation youth.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, California State University Northridge, 18111 Nordhoff Street, Northridge, CA, 91330-8255, USA

    Scott W. Plunkett

  2. Department of 4-H, Youth Development, and Family & Consumer Sciences, North Carolina State University, NCSU Campus Box 7605, Raleigh, NC, 27695-7605, USA

    Andrew O. Behnke

  3. Department of Educational Psychology and Counseling, California State University Northridge, 18111 Nordhoff Street, Northridge, CA, 91330-8265, USA

    Tovah Sands

  4. Graduate School of Education, Interdisciplinary Studies in Human Development at the University of Pennsylvania, 3700 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19104-6216, USA

    Brian Y. Choi

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  1. Scott W. Plunkett
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  2. Andrew O. Behnke
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Correspondence to Scott W. Plunkett.

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Plunkett, S.W., Behnke, A.O., Sands, T. et al. Adolescents’ Reports of Parental Engagement and Academic Achievement in Immigrant Families. J Youth Adolescence 38, 257–268 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-008-9325-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-008-9325-4

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